Exhale
by KDMOSP
Summary: Sequel to Breath. JJ is still in the ICU, still fighting for her life. And the person who shot her three months ago, is ready to finish the job.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Yay! So, here is the sequel to Breath! Enjoy. And yes, you know there will be drama throughout this entire story. **

You sit in the ICU room, holding JJ's hand, in awe at the strength the young agent possess. Your heart is torn in two though, you desperately want to see her open her eyes, but at the same time, do not want to get your hopes up. After all, according to the staff, the squeeze could have been nothing but reflex.

And you don't know what to believe now. That JJ is waking up, slowly but surely, she is coming back. It is what your heart wants, and you know it. It is what everyone wants. At the same time, you have slowly begun to resign yourself that maybe she will never wake up- and today, you got your hopes up for nothing. Maybe that is all it was, the huge hope you had held hours earlier, seems to be fading away at lightening speed.

You are thankful that you didn't act on excitement and call anyone, not even Will. You cannot imagine the devastation that phone call would have brought the struggling detective. It is better that nobody knows- nobody but you and the staff.

And as you look at her, you hope so many things for the young woman. But above all, you hope she is not suffering, not in any pain. The staff reassures you she is not, that she is on a large dose of pain medication, and if she was in pain, they could tell.

You also hope, by the time she wakes up, that you can tell JJ the bastard who did this is dead, and that you can name him. Because that day in the ICU three months ago, turned everyone upside down. The hospital gunman, was not the same person who shot JJ in the hotel. And you still have no name for either person. It's frustrating as hell, and you feel like a dam failure. You have done everything you can to protect JJ, but you know the fact of the matter is, you have no idea who shot her. And that person could be anywhere.. and it scares you.

It scares you because JJ is incredibly vulnerable. Vulnerable in so many ways, she cannot defend herself, she cannot identify her shooter, and neither can you or the entire FBI. If she wasn't so sick, you would have long ago requested she be moved. But that cannot happen.

Now, you do the only thing you know how to do, and that is vow to keep her safe. Safe as she can be while in the ICU dependent on a ventilator.

And a scary realization hits you suddenly, just how long can you do this? How long will the FBI pay for someone to sit with JJ at all times? How long will the shooter wait to come back? Will he come back or has he long forgotten about the catastrophic blow he has dealt? Is he dead, alive? Has he left the country? Is he a friend, neighbor, co worker?

You shake your head, disappointed at how much you do not know. The amount you do know, you can count on one hand. You know he shot JJ with her own weapon, that he somehow infiltrated the SWAT team, that he targeted JJ. Other then that, nothing.

And as you shake your head, you look at JJ and at how peaceful she looks. You take a deep breath and renew your dedication and faith into finding the shooter.

"I promise you, JJ. I promise." You whisper before crossing the room and opening a copy of her file. Ready to start it with fresh eyes.


	2. Sarah

**AN: Thank you, and please review!**

The file in front of you is massive. Interviews, photos, medical reports, forensics, you have seen it all before. You have read every word on every piece a paper, memorized some of the sentences, and know the file back and forth.

And at three in the morning, you are still pouring over it, desperate to find something, anything you may have missed. And amongst the file, you have JJ's personal records as well. Everything about JJ, every aspect of her career is in that file: school records, birth certificate, it's all there.

Something else catches your eye, one word, one tiny word written in a statement about JJ's family. And it was used to describe her parents. The word jumped off the paper to you and you began reading faster and faster.

And you took in a sharp breath, her parents were infertile. Unable to have any children, and right next to the word was another phrase written in parentheses, Hope Adoption Agency.

You glance back up at your agent, and begin to wonder- and you read on. And you discover more and more about your agent, and more about the secrets she was keeping then you ever thought possible.

And as the document goes on, you find out one thing you never expected. JJ was adopted. JJ and her sister were both adopted through the foster care system. JJ, your strong, resilient agent, was a victim of severe child abuse.

How had you missed it? JJ had never spoken about it, and never given any indication of a traumatic childhood, but the words on the paper were clear. It was very basic, but very clear. At age seven, JJ and her sister were placed in the home of the people who she would call mom and dad.

And suddenly, you wonder if you have a lead. You desperately need her adoption records, you need the protective services records, you need records of when she was in foster care. Because suddenly, deep down, you begin to wonder if this was something to do with JJ's past. Nothing to do with her as an agent, but as an innocent child.

And with one call, to Garcia, the documents and information begins flooding into you. Your eyes widen as you read the reports, the allegations, the trauma, the adoption. JJ's name was her adopted name, her birth name had been Sera, Sera Kase.

And Sara had been one traumatized little girl by the time protective services got involved. Little Sara and her sister had been the victims of physical abuse at the hands of their parents, and when six year old Sarah was removed from her home, she weighed the same as a two year old.

But her trauma didn't end once the physical abuse stopped. And as the descriptions got more detailed and you began reading more of what she had been through, your list of suspects expands.

And when you run across the name of Kyle Connor, a shiver runs down your spine. Kyle had spent twenty five years in prison for sexual abuse of a child.

A child named Sarah Case.

And within the last two years, Kyle had been released from prison. He had quickly fallen off the map, but his last known location had been in Texas.

Dallas, Texas.

Exactly where JJ had been shot.

And now, now you know you have your guy. You just have to find him,


	3. Kyle

**AN: I am so sorry for the lag in updates. I am so busy right now with work, and life! This chapter is short, but it has a lot of info in it. And someone pointed out that I misspelled Sarah's name wrong three times in the last chapter. I am so sorry, but the correct spelling is Sarah**

Kyle Connor was like nobody you would have ever imagined. And as he sat across from you in the small interrogation room, you felt yourself eyeing him up and down. He was huge, a mountain- and yet, he sat before you, shaking. Shaking so hard, you could hear the clank of the metal cuffs as they hit the side of the table.

He was sweating, pale, nervous. And you felt your heart sink as realization sunk in, that while this man had harmed JJ years ago, you doubted he was her shooter. Call it gut intuition, but you knew this man had nothing to do with JJ's current condition.

"Do you know why you're here?" You were beyond exhausted, frustrated, and slowly approaching hopelessness that you will ever find the shooter.

"No." He spoke, his voice low. "No, sir, I don't."

You nod and slide a JJ's bureau picture across the table. "Do you know who she is?"

He swallows and nods. "I've seen her on the news lately, she was the agent that was shot."

"You don't know her anywhere else?" You ask, pulling out another picture.

"No, sir. I don't believe I do."

"Okay- what about her, do you know her?" This time, you slide a picture of JJ when she was child, when she was nine years old. And this time, you got a reaction.

"Sarah." He whispers and looks away. "I know her." He tells you and it does not look like he has made the connection, not yet.

"How do you know her?"

He swallows, "You're FBI, you know all about me, what I did to her." He shrugs. "I have hated myself every day since then. What I did to her, what I put her through. I deserved everything that has happened to me in prison, everything that will follow me. I deserve it.."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"At court, twenty seven years ago. I heard she was adopted, but don't know anything more about her. I hope she is doing okay, I hope she has moved on." There is a sincerity in his voice.

"Have you ever tried to reach out to her?"

He shakes his head. "No. I ruined her life once, I couldn't do it again.." And then you see it, you see the realization in his eyes as he compares the two photographs. "Oh God." He suddenly whispers.

"Yes." You nod at him.

"The FBI agent? She is Sarah?"

"Yes."

"And you think I shot her?" He shakes his head. "No, it couldn't have been."

"Why not?" You ask, interested in hearing his alibi.

He looks at you, "You serious?" He pauses. "Did your boys not tell you anything when they dragged me here?"

You glare at him, encouraging him to continue.

"Man, I live in a nursing home. I am paralyzed from the waist down."

And your heart sinks, you are back to square one.


	4. DNR

**AN: I am so sorry, I am trying to update but admit, I am stuck. If you have any ideas where you would like this one to go, please let me know!**

You sit in the conference room, surrounded by doctors and nurses, social workers and clergy. Morgan is with you, as if Garcia. Emily is sitting with JJ- and Will, Will is nowhere to be found. According to the staff, the detective has not been to see JJ in weeks, despite their pleas. He no longer answers your calls, or texts, and won't answer the door when you come by to check on him.

And so the hospital was left with no other choice but to call you. To have you in the meeting; to convince you to sign the paperwork that has been presented to you.

"I don't understand. Two days ago we were talking about her improving. JJ showing signs she was still here.." Garcia's voice was soft, depressed, despondent. "And now, now you are asking us to sign a DNR?"

You bite your lip, staring at the legal document in front of you.

"Ms. Garcia, Agent Jareau's condition has taken a considerable turn for the worse." A young doctor spoke up. "She has developed a dangerously high fever, pneumonia and is now septic." He pauses. "It is becoming harder and harder for her body to fight, and she has coded on us numerous times in the last few days.."

"Is this about her or you?" Garcia snaps. "Is she a bother?"

"Ms. Garcia." It's the social worker, Robyn. "I think Dr. Willard is trying to say that Agent Jareau is not doing well. Her prognosis is bleak, and her condition is rapidly declining. The staff can keep her ventilated but the longer we do that, the more damage it can do to her body."

"What are you asking I do?" You find yourself whispering.

"We want you to consider a DNR. You have no obligation to sign it, or agree to it. Just consider it. At what point do we stop the CPR and aggressive measures to keep her going everytime she stops breathing? In the last seventy two hours, she has coated five times." Robyn explains softly. "I am looking at her quality of life right now Agent Hotchner. Not quantity, because I think we can all agree that she is too young for this, but her quality."

You nod, seeing her point.

She licks her lips and looks at you. "What would Agent Jareau want?"

She'd want her husband here, she'd want her son. She'd want to hold her boy again, and be with the team. She'd want to be able to enjoy going out to eat, or chasing down violent predators. She wouldn't want to be laying in a hospital bed with an almost guaranteed of some sort of permanent damage. You had been warned, there was a good chance that JJ would never walk again, talk again, she might not be able to see, or hear. She might not be able to eat, or breathe on her own.

She might be completely dependent on others for the rest of her life.

And you know she wouldn't want that.

"I want you to continue to treat her." You look at the doctors.

"Of course, Agent Hotchner." Robyn nods.

You take a deep breath and it hits you, and it hits you hard. JJ is not getting any better, and you wonder what delusional world you had been living in the last few months. It was selfish to keep her here if she was ready to go.

"Agent." Robyn's voice catches your attention. "Forgive me if this is not my place, but- what if you never catch her shooter?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you going to keep her here, like this, until you catch him?"

You open your mouth to say something but quickly close it. She was right.

"Just something to think about. Take your time."

You nod and wait until everyone has left the room except Garcia.

"Find Will. I don't care how you do it, get him here now."

And she nods.

You have an idea...


	5. Baby Blue

**AN: I am doing my best to catch up. I am going to try and finish this story before any others! Please be patient with me though!**

It's four in the morning, and you are wide awake, lying on the hotel room couch, flipping through channels. You had another nightmare, another one involving JJ. Another one where she cries out for you as the bullet rips through her body.

They are becoming more frequent, the nightmares, more frequent and more detailed. Smells are there, sounds, texture. It's all there, and now, it's happening during the day. You don't need a counselor to tell you what is happening, you have PTSD. PTSD stemming from watching your agent nearly die.

Hell, you scoff to yourself, nearly die? JJ is as good as dead. The staff has pretty much told you so for over a week, since they first spoke with you about the DNR. JJ is making no progress, and her body is suffering from it.

You often wonder if JJ is still really here. You know her physical body is, but her soul? She has shown no signs that she is still with you, not so much as a squeeze of a hand, or any movement.

And you have to accept that the possibility that JJ is not coming back is very real.

You stare at the piece of paper in front of you, still not signed. You couldn't do it, you couldn't sign JJ's death.

You had waited for Will, and after just a day of searching, Garcia had taken your hand and pulled you out of JJ's room.

Will apparently, had filed for divorce, and was seeking sole custody of Henry. Not only had he done that, but he had left the country and was now enjoying the snowy mountains in Switzerland. He had abandoned JJ, left her to die alone.

Except, she wouldn't die alone.

She had you, and the team, and the support of the community.

Texas had not forgotten about Agent Jareau, even three months after her shooting. The community continued to provide hot meals, and fundraisers for the wounded agent, cards filled JJ's room- and you had to smile at that.

And it was the support of the community that allowed you to be at peace with the decision you had come to.

You sat up and took in a deep breath, you had to do what was right by JJ. And so you picked up the pen and held the paper straight. Slowly, carefully, you signed your name on the DNR.

You would bring it to the hospital tomorrow- it was time to let JJ be at peace.

At five in the morning, your phone began ringing. A five AM phone call was never something good, and when you saw the caller ID, you heart sank into your chest. The hospital was calling.

You picked it up and listened, you listened for what seemed like hours and as you did, the frown on your face turned around, and for the first time in months, you smile.

JJ's fever had broken, the pneumonia was clearing.

And JJ had opened her eyes.


	6. Eyes

**AN: Thank you all sooooo much for your reviews! I am back in love with this story, so I am going to try and update as much as I can!**

You rush into the ICU, running your hands through your hair as you do so. The phone call had surprised you so much, that you had sprinted out of the hotel room, not bothering to care for any personal hygiene matters.

It was only once you were in the car that you noticed that you needed a breath mint, and a shave. The breath mint was easily taken care of, and you popped one into your mouth, hoping it would help.

The shave would have to wait until later.

You have a million questions racing in your mind. How is she? Should you tell the team? Try and get a hold of Will? Is JJ scared? What do you tell her? Does she remember anything? And most of all, where the hell is the damn shooter?

You, nor the FBI, has located the person who has done this to JJ. You have nothing to go on. Zero. Nada.

JJ's time spent in foster care lead to nothing. JJ's abusive past held nothing. There was nothing, and you had looked at every angle.

You have nowhere else to turn.

The only person who might be able to provide insight was now just a few feet away from you. But you couldn't talk to her about it yet, no. Not when she had just woken up after being in a coma for nearly four months.

And then there was quite a few other obstacles. Could JJ remember what had happened? If she could, could she talk about it? Would she even be able to talk? Would she even be able to understand what was happening?

You round the corner to the ICU and are stopped immediately by Dr. Molly.

"Hold on Chief," She tells you and stops you with her hand on your chest. "Hold on now." She smiles at you and gestures for you to sit down. She had been waiting for you. "I know you are excited to see her, but we need to talk about a few things."

Immediately, you feel like she has just let all the air out of your balloon, and you slide into the seat next to her, bracing for whatever is to come next.

"She opened her eyes." Molly tells you softly, and you can hear the underlying 'but.' "She opened her eyes." She repeats and you see tears in her own eyes.

"Can I see her?" You ask, looking nervously towards JJ's room.

"In a minute," She takes a deep breath. "Dr. Santos noticed a few things that concerned him and sent JJ down for an emergency X-Ray."

You feel your blood turn to ice, feel your heart drop to your stomach. "A few things?"

"Nothing serious. Yet. While Dr. Santos was listening to her lungs, he heard a few things that needed to be looked at."

"What things?" You ask, hoping JJ doesn't have another uphill battle.

Molly stops. "We call it water on the lungs?"

"She's drowning?" You stare at her.

Molly looks at you and nods. "No. Not exactly. It's more of pressure on her lungs. We are waiting on X-Ray to confirm."

"Can you fix it?"

She smiles at you and nods. "Yes, it can be fixed."

And relief washes over you. "It is uncomfortable for her though, Hotch."

You glare at her. "She's going to feel it?"

Molly licks her lips and nods. "Yes. We will give her medication to help block the pain, but she will feel it." And the way she says it, you now there is no alternative.

"What else?"

"Santos will take more in depth with you, but from my side this is what I can tell you. We don't know what her function will be just yet. She may be able to speak to us, she may not. We don't know what her memory is going to be like. It is going to take time to figure this all out. She will respond to us, and if we ask, she can open her eyes. But that is just right now, she might become unresponsive tomorrow. We just don't know."

You are about to ask a question, when you hear familiar voices coming down the hall. You stand up and see a bed being escorted down the hallway, two nurses and a doctor accompanying the bed. It's JJ.

"Hi there, Agent." You hear one of them talking to her, and you beam thinking JJ's eyes must be open. "We're going to get you back to your room in just a minute. You have had an exciting day."

You hold yourself back, it takes every bit of strength to do it, but you follow in behind the group. Molly behind you.

You wait and watch as JJ is set again, before approaching her. You still cringe at the sight of all the tubes and monitors, the mere existence of the trach tube in her throat. A procedure that had been done months before.

Instead of JJ having a tube in her mouth to breathe for her, the doctors had placed it in her throat. Their reasoning made sense, it was safer to do it this way.

And even with all the tubes, her pale skin, the ugly hospital gown, you still smile as you sit down next to her.

The room goes quiet as you take her hand in yours.

"JJ, can you open your eyes?" You plead and watch.

There is nothing. Again you ask, nothing.

Then Molly comes over, "Here, watch." She tells you.

"Agent Jareau," Her voice is louder, more powerful, forceful. "Open your eyes for me."

And then, for the first time in four months, you see the most brillant blue eyes staring back at you.

And you know you are the first thing she sees. And you smile as you move closer.

"Welcome back, JJ."


	7. Fear

**AN: Please review! Thanks!**

You are speechless, you have no words as you take the seat next to JJ. The doctors and nurses are still present, but they have began to filter out, and right now, to you, it's just you and JJ. In reality, you know that is simply not true, you hear the conversations going on behind you, the sounds of the machines, monitors.

And as you sit, you take her hand in your own and fight back the tears.

Her eyes. Her beautiful blue eyes are open.

"Hi JJ," You tell her softly. "We've missed you." And you watch and dread begins to fill you as you begin to pick up on subtle clues. Clues that are only coming from her eyes.

The eyes are the windows to the soul. You remember hearing that time after time, and now, now the full impact of the statement is hitting you head on.

You can see so much in them. You see pain, fear, at the same time, you see she is drugged. You do not see the one thing you were hoping to see. In those eyes, you do not see JJ.

"JJ." You bend down closer to her, "can you look at me?"

She doesn't, her gaze does not shift. She is staring through you, instead of at you.

"JJ?" You try again, and get no response.

"Agent Hotchner." You look up to see Santos leaning over you. "Can we speak outside?" He is a kind, soft spoken doctor.

"I.." You don't want to leave her, not moments have her eyes have finally opened.

Santos nods and takes a seat next to you. Your gaze does not waver from JJ.

"Agent Hotchner, I need you to remember something right now. She is still very sick," he pauses. "But, she is taking a step in the right direction." Another pause. "Agent Jareau sustained a traumatic brain injury and she is going to have to relearn almost everything."

You nod in understanding, you had been warned about this before.

"We will start working with her immediately on some of these things.."

"Like what?" You ask.

Santos pauses and looks to JJ, smiles, and then looks back to you. "Breathing." He must see the look on your face. "Right now, we need to determine if she is going to be able to do it on her own, or.."

"Or if she can't." You look back to JJ and see her eyes have closed.

"Correct. She has been dependent on a ventilator for four months, her muscles have atrophied and we need to see what extent of damage the bullet did to her brain." Another pause. "Because of her brain injury, over the next few weeks, we will be running tests to determine the extent of the brain damage."

You turn as you hear nurses enter the room with a cart of supplies and you wonder what is happening.

"I'll explain in a minute." Santos smiles before continuing. "We cannot run those tests, however, until she is more alert and responsive. Once she is, we will be able to determine her level of function is a few key areas, such as her speech, coordination, thinking, etc."

Before you can say anything, you watch as he stands up, and walks in front of you, bending down in front of JJ.

"JJ, open your eyes." He says and you smile when she does. "JJ, my name is Dr. Santos." His hand is on her shoulder. "I know you are tired honey, but we need to do a quick procedure."

You look at him. What procedure?

"You have some fluid on your lungs and we need to get rid of it." You smile as his gentle hand brushes JJ's cheek. You wonder if she has any idea what is being said to her, but are thankful that the kind doctor is talking to her about it.

Another nurse has entered the room and together, three nurses go behind JJ and turn her on her side, so that she is facing you.

And as they do so, you see it in her eyes.

You see life in JJ's eyes. You catch a brief glimpse that JJ is still there.

But what you see breaks your heart.

All you see is fear.


	8. News

**AN: Again, i am sorry for the lack of updates, but I got over my writers block now!**

You stand outside the ICU room window, a luke warm cup of coffee wrapped in your hands. All you can do, is stand. Hundreds of thoughts are racing through your mind as she look into the room, as you carefully watch its now single occupant.

The flurry of activity had died down half an hour ago, the unpleasant procedure had taken its toll on the already weak agent. As soon as the doctor had announced they were done, JJ had slipped back into a peaceful sleep.

Good. She needed it.

At least that is what the doctors and nurses had told you. That despite JJ being asleep for nearly five months, she still needed her rest.

It baffled you really, as did most things relating to JJ and her accident. No. You had to stop yourself, it was not an accident. Whoever shot JJ, had done it deliberately.

And you still had no idea who the shooter was. The case had grown cold, and as much as you hated to think about it- you were no closer to catching the shooter today, then you had been that day. Hell, you had probably been closer the day JJ was shot, then you are now.

It was a devastating blow to the team. Having a team member shot in the head had done a number on everyone; and it was only added to with the fact they had no closure. Nothing.

But today, you got to do one thing. For the first time in months, you got to deliver happy news. You had waited until JJ's procedure was done, you had sat with her, held her hands as the doctor stuck a large needle in her back and began to drain fluid. You had comforted her and reassured her, even though you were terrified yourself. You had told her that she was okay, even as she struggled to focus on you. You had told her that she would be fine, as she mouthed words she could not speak. You had told her was safe, while the person who had done this was still out there.

And you had wiped her tears away and whispered to her as she was continually touched and poked by various staff members. You had explained about the noises, that they were nothing to fear, you had told her that she could close her eyes and you had promised her you would be right there.

It was after you had said that numerous times, after the doctor had left, and only one nurse remained, that she seemed to understand. Understand what was being told to her- and after rubbing her hand, and whispering to her over and over again. She finally gave in and fell asleep.

And your emotions had hit you straight on. You made sure she was asleep before asking one of the nurses, Angie, to sit with her while you ran to get a cup of coffee. Angie, of course, had agreed. You trusted Angie and knew she was safe with JJ. That and you had had Garcia run background checks on anyone that came close to touching JJ. Angie, was in the clear.

It was on your way to grab coffee, that you made the call to the team. They had been on the plane home from Seattle when you reached them.

"She's awake." You had said simply and smiled as you heard the happy cries and shouts.

Your team had desperately needed some good news, and you were happy to give it to them.

You, however, had held back your concerns. How it had been heartbreaking to try and calm JJ down when she had been so panicked, and so confused. How, most of your words did not seem to register with JJ, how she seemed almost unable to focus on you.

There was so many questions now- did she have brain damage? What would she be like? Did she remember anything?

And most importantly- could she tell you anything that would lead you to the man who shot her?


	9. One day soon

**AN: Im sorry for the lack of updates. I have reasons I am not ready to discuss. But here is the next chapter! At the end.. you will see something.. let me know what the answer should be! Review! Does she, or doesn't she? **

You have a new motto. One that you find yourself repeating over and over again. To yourself, to the team, to JJ. It's simple really, and in it, you hold a sort of promise. One day soon.

One day soon so much will happen.

So much already has. Your one day soon came when JJ opened her eyes, when she proved everyone wrong.

And you can only hope you have plenty more one day soons. Not just you, but JJ and the team.

Right now, you want today to be the day you catch the bastard who shot your agent. Who put her in a coma, left her unable to breathe on her own.

And today, you have permission from Dr. Molly to start asking questions. You are sure Dr. Molly wants the person in jail almost as much as you do. Almost. But not quite.

It has been planned on, on how to approach this. Dr. Molly will be monitoring JJ the entire time, as a team of nurses watches her vitals at the nursing station.

Emily will be at your side as you begin to question JJ.

And with a deep breath, you walk into JJ's room, a tablet in hand.

JJ has been awake for two days now, but is still in the ICU, still dependent on a ventilator. You still do not know the extent of damage to her brain, but do know it exists.

One day soon, you will find out everything.

"JJ." You hear Emily's voice as she looks down at JJ. "Hotch is here to see you!" She says softly and runs her hand through JJ's hair.

"Hi JJ." You smile down at her, happy to see her eyes are able to focus on you now. She nods her head after a minute, acknowledging you. "JJ." You take a seat next to her, ready to start the conversation.

"Do you know what happened to you?" You ask softly, wondering how much your agent knows or remembers. You only get a blank stare back. "Okay." You lick your lips. "You were shot one day, JJ." You search her features for any sign of reaction. You get nothing in return. Dr. Molly had warned you about this, that her processing speed would be delayed, and some things she might not be even to process.

"Do you remember any of that, JJ?" You ask, hoping for a yes. And soon, you get a nod. And you smile.

It's the only way she can communicate. Nods, or shakes of her head.

It's a huge step, that she remembers it.

"Do you remember where we were?"

A pause, then a nod. But you have to check.

"Was it a restaurant?" You venture and smile when she shakes her head. "Airport?" Another slow shake of the head. "Hotel?" And she shakes her head again, and you feel your heart drop.

"JJ" Emily speaks up. "Was it your house?" No. And without changing her voice, or giving any indication what was right, Emily asked "was it a pool?"

And you got a nod. A yes. And slowly, you begin to figure things out.

"Did you get into an altercation with the person?" She nods. She is remembering, and you almost smile.

"JJ, I know you are tired." You see her eyes start to fall and know you have maybe a minute before you completely lose her. Her eyes snap open and she looks at you.

"JJ, do you know who shot you?"

She looks at you and right then, you see something you have not seen in five long months. You see your agent trapped behind those eyes. You know JJ is there, and you give her hand a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay,JJ." You tell her.

And bite your lip as she gives you her answer.

One day soon is coming.


	10. Contact

**AN: Yay for an update**

"JJ, do you know who shot you?" You ask softly, desperately hoping for an answer. Any answer at this point, it does not matter anymore which one it is.

She blinks her eyes a few times and they begin to close. "JJ.." It comes out almost as plea, you didn't mean it, not at all.

And her eyes snap back open.

"Agent.." Dr. Molly steps forward and puts a comforting hand on your shoulder. "She might not be able to understand what you are asking right now." She pauses. "And if we pressure her too much, she might provide the wrong answer."

You nod, understanding where she is coming from, before looking back at JJ. Her eyes are still open, she is fighting off sleep. She is fighting for you, and all you can do is smile as you take her hand.

"It's okay, JJ." You tell her, wanting to make sure she knows you are not mad. But as you look in her eyes, you can tell she is trying to tell you something. You have known her long enough, and know that despite her injury, that look in her eyes, she is desperately trying to communicate with you.

"What is it?" You ask, letting her know you have your full attention. "It's okay." You comfort her. "Take all the time you need.."

It takes time, and you know it's because her processing speed is significantly impaired. But after a good two minutes, she nods her head.

You bite your lip, not sure if you want to ask again. "Do you remember who shot you, JJ?"

Slowly, she nods. And you feel a gigantic weight lifted off your shoulders. You look to Emily who smiles, and when you look back down, JJ is asleep.

"Agent." It's Dr. Molly. "Lets step outside." She gestures and you stand, tucking the blanket around JJ as you do.

You follow her outside and lean against the wall.

"Agent, please do not get your hopes up. She might not be able to provide any further answers.."

You look at her. "Everyone has doubted her since she was first brought here. Let's give her the benefit of the doubt.."

Molly smiles at you. "Fair enough. Just know that answering one question can be exhausting for her. It might take several days for you to get an answer to one question…"

"I'm okay with that."

"I'm expecting her to be on the vent for another two to three weeks," She began. "We are going to get physical therapy in with her as soon as tomorrow morning.."

You look down and then ask the question that has been on your mind for a few days. "Can she write?"

Molly smiles. "What do you mean?"

"If we give her a pen and paper.."

"No." Molly interrupts you immediately. "No. Agent, right now, she probably does not even have the strength to lift a pen. That, and combined with her injury, I am not sure she would be able to.."

"We have to give her the chance!" You hiss, surprised at yourself.

Molly raises her eyebrows. "To what, agent? Grow more frustrated at herself for not being able to do a task she has known how to do since she was five years old? Writing is the furthest thing from our minds right now, and while I know it is important to your case- it's not the most important thing to her well being. We need to make sure she can breathe on her own, she has to relearn how to do that. How to use every muscle. She cannot remember how to eat or drink, to use the restroom, to talk. All of that, we have to help her relearn how to do. So when it comes to breathing and writing to give you an answer, which one is more important?"

You see her growing frustrated and shrink back away from her. "Do you see where I am coming from Agent Hotchner? Your priorities are important to solving your case, mine are important to keeping her alive."

And with that she glares at you before walking back into JJ's room.

And with Dr. Molly's anger, all you can do is smile. You are glad she is the doctor taking care of JJ.

You are leaving the hospital, secure in that JJ is safe with Morgan at her side. It's a cool night out and you hurry to your parked car.

You are just about to get in, when you hear your phone begin to buzz.

"Hotchner." You answer and freeze when you hear the voice.

"How is she, Hotch?" The caller asks and you feel your blood turn to ice. "I hear she is awake and answering questions.."

"Who is this?" You turn around, looking for anyone hiding in the shadows.

There is a curt laugh. "Still haven't figured me out yet?" A pause. "I know she is awake agent, she was never supposed to make it this far." Another pause. "I'm glad her husband at least listened to me- else her kid would have been next."

And a daunting thought crosses your mind. "If you come near her.."

"Oh Agent Hotchner." The voice mocks. "I'm already here."

And the call drops and you take off running.


	11. Camera

**AN: Enjoy!**

You have walked the distance from the parking garage to the ICU for months now, and never really considered how long it takes to get there.

Right now, you are cursing yourself for not knowing exactly how many steps, how long it could take to get to JJ.

Because, even with you running as fast as you can, it still takes nearly five minutes to close in on the ICU room. And by the time you reach the door, security is already stationed outside.

Morgan is inside, his back to the window, his gaze focused on a sleeping JJ. You know the stance, he is making sure nobody can see in through the window, protecting JJ with his body from a potential sniper.

And JJ. JJ is sound asleep, blissfully unaware of yet another threat on her life.

"Hotch!" Morgan sees you as soon as you walk in. "Nobody has come in here man; it's been quite." He explains, not moving from his spot.

You nod, letting out a small breath.

"What did he say?" Morgan asks, and winces when he sees JJ start to stir in the bed. You watch as he approaches the wounded agent, and kneels at her bedside.

"Shh, baby girl." He whispers and places his hand on JJ's forehead. "Hi there." He smiles and you do as well when you see her eyes blink open.

But something is different this time, you know that instantly. The look in her eyes, she is scared, upset..

"JJ." Morgan must see it too because he tries to get right into her line of sight. "It's okay, baby girl." He hushes her, trying to calm her down. It's obvious that she is quickly growing anxious and you know that at any second, a nurse will be in to help calm her down.

This has happened more than once before, and you now know the routine.

Dr. Molly explained it to you, that every time JJ wakes up, she might not know where she is at, or what is happening. And you have learned to trust Dr Molly on what she says.

You step over to JJ and grab her left hand as you see her start to go to one of the many tubes still attached to her body; the last thing anyone needs is for JJ to pull something out.

"Leave it alone, JJ." You tell her softly, not wanting to scare her anymore. You hope she can recognize your voice because she doesn't appear to be seeing you at the moment.

It comes and goes, sometimes she recognizes you and sometimes she doesn't; you never know. Right now, it's apparent she does not. Because she is fighting with you as hard as she can- which is nothing.

You think Jack has much more strength that what JJ possess now, and she is using everything she has. The once strong, vibrant FBI agent who could disarm a man twice her size, is having trouble lifting her arm to shove you away.

She is growing increasingly agitated, and is shaking her head back and forth, moving as much as her body will allow.

"Okay, okay." Morgan is whispering to her. "Are you hot?" He asks and gently removes the blanket that has been become tangled around her body. The struggle continues and you see tears start to build in her eyes.

She has to be frustrated, scared. You touch her skin, making sure she doesn't have a fever and find it to feel normal.

"Is she in pain?" Morgan asks, and all you can do is shrug.

As an awful thought enters your mind. Is this going to be JJ for the rest of her life? Crying and frustrated and unable to communicate..

Is this the life JJ would want?

And you know the answer to that.

You know she wouldn't, wouldn't want this. To be dependent on medical equipment, unable to communicate, trapped in her own body.

"JJ?" You hear one of the nurse's' voice and are so grateful for it. "Oh sweetie." Rosie walks in and straight to your agent. "What's going on pumpkin?" She looks at her charge and you see something in Rosie's expression that you cannot place.

"JJ." She reaches over and grabs JJ's left leg, holding it down. "It's okay, it's okay." She repeats over and over again. She reaches down and presses the call button and then tells the nurse to send in Dr. Molly.

Now, you know something is happening.

"What is it?" You ask, still holding JJ's arm down.

Rosie licks her lips and gently turns JJ so that she is flat on her back. "We just need to wait for Dr. Molly to get here."

Two minutes later, Dr. Molly arrives, and you know that whatever is wrong, Molly sees it instantly.

"JJ." She walks over and without a word to you or Morgan, looks to her nurse.

"What happened.."

"Saw her wake up from the nurses station.."

Immediately, you and Morgan look at each other. You know JJ's room is close to the station but not near enough for someone to be sitting there and then see JJ wake up.

"Gave her a bit, but she became increasingly agitated. Came in and saw this, called you."

Molly nods and approaches JJ. "Hi JJ." She smiles softly, taking over Rosie's spot on her hand. Molly sits down next to JJ and begins talking to her; her voice soft and calm. And you watch JJ begin to relax.

Molly sits next to her, letting Rosie talk, but observing JJ. She is watching something, but you do not know what.

"That's it." Rosie says softly. "Oh honey, I bet you are so uncomfortable. How about we get you some clean clothes and sheets, huh?" She asks, running her hand through JJ's blonde hair. "Get your hair brushed and a bed bath?" JJ has calmed considerably by now, enough for Molly to let go of her arm. "There ya go, let's get you untangled okay?"

Molly stands up and smiles at JJ before turning to you. "A word?"

You nod and follow her out the door, knowing Morgan is with JJ.

"Agent." You know when she address you by your title, she is about to issue a hard blow. She shakes her head. "This is a complication of her brain injury.."

"What is?" You look into see Rosie singing to JJ and Morgan smiling.

"The entire episode, she never moved her right side agent. She has not moved it since waking up; she fights us with her left side, and can move her left leg; but has not moved the right side.."

You interrupt her. "She's paralyzed.."

Molly closes her eyes. "Yes." She pauses. "I am confident she is, but I will have the nurses continue to monitor her through the camera and if she makes any movement.."

You stop. "Camera?"

She nods. "Yes, there is a camera in her room, it's one of the ways we are able to constantly monitor.."

Your blood turns to ice as you realize what is happening. As you realize how he has gotten to JJ- he was correct, he was there. He had been watching her for God knew how long; he had seen JJ and the progress she had had been.

And he had seen her acknowledge that she knew who had shot her.

"Turn it off!" You command before grabbing your phone and dialing the one person who may be able to finally get to the bottom of all of this.


	12. Hours

**AN: I am sorry for the delay, my confidence is gone, so I am trying to build it back up again.**

Garcia answers your call on the first ring; as she has ever since JJ's horrific injury.

You can tell your call has woken her up, but you doubt it was any sort or restful sleep. You doubt any of your team has truly had a decent night's rest since the shooting.

But you cannot think about that now; because you think you have your first solid lead in months.

"Garcia." You are standing just outside JJ's room, reassured that she is safe with Morgan by her side. However, he is standing at the front of her bed, and you know this is purposeful; he is blocking the camera.

A sinking thought rushes into your mind; the one camera Dr. Molly told you about was shut off; but are there others hiding in the room?

"Boss?" You can tell you have frightened her.

You take a deep breath. "There's a camera in JJ's room, we didn't know about it." You pause. "It's part of the hospital's patient security system..." You bow your head as your mind flashes back to that call. "Garcia, he's been watching her through that camera."

You need not say anymore, you know Garcia is on it; and you know Garcia will provide some valuable information.

You slip your phone back into your pocket and glance inside the room; it is quite and calm.

It is an unspoken understanding among the staff and any visitors to JJ. Whatever may be happening regarding JJ's case, is handled outside the ICU room.

It has always been that way, and always will be.

JJ appears to have settled down a bit, and you know it is because she has simply worn herself out. The two minutes of fighting took a massive toll on her energy level and she will sleep for the next few hours.

But at least now she is fighting.

In so many ways she is fighting and you remain in awe of her strength and spirit.

"Aaron?"

You jump at the unexpected sound and turn to see Dave walking towards you, two cups of coffee in his hands.

"Thanks." You nod at him as he hands you one cup.

You follow his gaze and see that he is looking in at JJ.

"Let's go talk somewhere." He says and all you can do is follow him as he turns down the hall.

He leads you to one of the many family waiting areas and takes a seat as he sips on his coffee.

You stare at him, perplexed. What the hell? You finally have a lead and Dave takes you away from JJ only to sit and sip.

"Dave." You growl at him, glaring at him.

"What are you doing, Aaron?" He throws you a curve ball; one you never saw coming. And all you can do is glare at him. "Well?"

You narrow your gaze at Dave. "We found a camera.."

"I'm not talking about that Aaron." He interrupts and you give him a confused look. Rossi licks his lips. "JJ is here, JJ is alive- and we will take care of her. Right now, you need to take a break."

"JJ needs.."

"JJ is resting right now. The team is here, everyone is here. Let's meet at the hotel and start from scratch. Maybe we will find something."

You look at him, then back down the long hallway. The thought of a hot shower and warm meal is appealing; it would only be a few hours. But gut instinct kicks in..

"She doesn't need to be by herself, Dave."

"She won't be, Hotch. The nurses are here, I've asked DPD to increase patrol, there are a few officers in the hospital. She is safe, Hotch."

Dave must sense your hesitation. "I figured you probably wouldn't leave the hotel; Dr. Molly arranged for us to take over a conference room. Here, Aaron, at the hospital."

You nod, feeling safer knowing that you will be within running distance to JJ.

And you make the choice to leave JJ tonight; if only for a few hours.


	13. USG

**AN: I am so so sorry for the lack of updates. Work has been crazy busy :)**

You join your team in the conference room, everyone is present. And you feel a renewed sense of hope, and fight throughout the room. You wonder if JJ's ability to keep fighting has had an impact on the team- you know for sure she is your inspiration to keep fighting.

To keep fighting for her, for her justice. Because deep down, you are afraid that the JJ you all knew was never coming back.

You take a seat at the table and room goes quite; everyone ready to hear what will come. So with a deep breath you begin.

"He slipped up." You speak softly, your eyes darting around the room for any camera. "We found he had hacked the camera the ICU team uses to monitor patients; he has been watching her through that. He knows she is alive;" You pause and swallow. "He knows her condition and he knows she's improving." You pause- and then add. "He has to act soon, he has to be getting nervous, afraid that JJ will be able to identify the shooter." Although, you are not sure she ever will be able to.

"We've missed something, somewhere." It is Morgan who speaks up. "In her file, there has to be something we just haven't connected."

The room is quite again and you speak up. "We'll talk it over, from the beginning."

And it's agreed upon. Not even twenty minutes later, the conference room is filled with everything related to the case. Not just the case, no, everything related to JJ's shooting.

You go over what happened that horrific morning, in painstaking detail; everything from what was served for breakfast, to phones calls made and received, to who rode in what car on the way to the hotel. Nothing is left uncovered.

You count everyone who was at the hotel, you name them, you read over their testimonies, and listen to the 911 call. You listen to JJ's audio that had been recorded and recoil when you hear the sound of the gunshot that nearly ended her life.

You pour over forensics both from the scene and the evidence collected from JJ. You have Reid explain over and over again the medical complexity of JJ's condition and the expected outcome.

Morgan details the events of the still unidentified man that infiltrated the security team and had been treating JJ as a nurse. He talks about how he and Emily got to you and JJ just in time and how the man left no trace of who he was.

Garcia speaks to JJ's abusive childhood and how she spent years in the foster care system before being adopted by a loving couple.

How JJ and Will had a loving, happy marriage, up until the shooting when Will up and left, taking Henry with him and filing for divorce.

Emily brings up JJ's abduction and torture, and how the men involved were all deceased. That there was no evidence that anyone else was involved. Cruz supported that.

And as they talk, you shake your head, you are so close, and you can feel it. You glance down at the mass of paperwork in front of you, and on a hunch, type in the hotel's address and search it.

The first thing that appears in the search engine, is of course the story of JJ, and how the suspect was still on the run. You ignore the links and click on the image link.

Photos of JJ pop up, her beautiful smile seemed to light up everything and you can only stare as you click through the pictures.

Finally, one comes up, a picture of the hotel. It's a birds eye view- but you stop cold.

The picture was taken on the day of the shooting- moments after you had heard the gunshot. You enlarge the photo and look closer, and you feel your heart stop.

Here it is. You feel your hands go cold as you stare at the picture.

"Hotch?" You hear Morgan call, but your eyes are glued to the picture.

Because somehow at the exact time that you needed it, a photo had been taken from above the hotel, giving you a view of hundreds of feet.

And what you saw.. a small car, parked a few hundred feet from the hotel, under a tree- obviously meant to be hidden yet easily accessible.

You see a figure running towards it.

But what you see is what is most important.

You see license plates, and have a clear view of a full license plate number.

And your hands turns to ice, because on the plates are the words "US Government."


	14. Before and After

**AN: Please review!**

In an instant your world has come back to life. You may have something, you just might have found something for JJ- you may have a lead on the person who nearly ended her life.

And for a brief second, you close your eyes and JJ's imagine flashes in front of you. The before and after; before the shooting and after. The now. It seems as if that is how you, and the team function now, in a before and after.

Before, the image of JJ laughing, smiling, holding her son, interactive. Alive.

And the after, the image of JJ laying in a hospital bed, nearly lifeless. Her eyes haunt you, because you know she is in there- and she is trapped. And your heart breaks all over again for her- for her suffering.

A before and after- the JJ then and the JJ now.

And the JJ now needs you more than the JJ that is in the past. JJ now needs you now.

So, you refocus your attention back to the picture as you and your team pour over every little detail.

You have something now.

You have more than one something, you have a lot of somethings.

You have a car, a license plate, and the frozen image of a man running away.

It isn't the best image, but it is one none the less.

Garcia quickly enlarges the image and the room goes quite as everyone lays eyes on him. Everyone studies him, the room has gone silent.

You watch the frozen step he is taking, watch his hands, the body language, his clothing. How his left hand is reaching into his shirt; you have no clue as to what for.

"Look at his shirt." It's Kate who breaks the silence, and your eyes narrow to the yellow shirt; the yellow and stained shirt. It's stained red. It's blood. It's JJ's blood.

"Garcia.." You begin, but she interrupts you almost immediately.

"I'm on it.." The tone of her voice is no nonsense and you know she has read your mind and is one step ahead of you. "It may take some time, but I am almost positive that the satellite image must have snapped a series of shots."

In Garcia time you realize her statement was right, for the experience hacker it took an excruciating ten minutes to find a series of stills. But she found them. "Sir.."

The next image has everyone biting their lip, because frozen in the frame is something you have been waiting for for six months now.

The shooter has looked up at the exact time the photo was snapped.

And your eyes zero in on his- and all you can see is evil. And you wonder if those eyes were the last thing JJ saw. The cold hatred is so evident it is almost palpable.

"Blow that up." You command. "I want his face out on all media outlets tonight!"

Finally, you have a picture to show the media. You have a suspect- you have faith and confidence restored.

And then another hit.

"I can do you one better- the plates are registered with the US Marshals."

You don't wait any longer and pick up your phone. You have a buddy with the Marshals and he'd better square up with you tonight. You are done.

"Kick." He answers the phone immediately.

"It's Hotch." You respond and head straight for business.

"How's your agent?" He asks.

"Hanging in there. We have new evidence that suggests a marshal was involved."

"Agent." His voice drops, the allegations are serious.

You explain what has been found, and Kick takes in a breath.

"I'll get back to you."

And with that he hangs up the phone.

You are heading back to the team when your phone rings; an unidentified number.

You snap your fingers at Garcia to get her attention and tell her to trace the call.

"Hotch." You answer.

"Hotch, how is she?"

You recognize the voice immediately. It belongs to none other than Will.


	15. Kent

**AN: New chapter! YAY! Please review, it makes me smile.**

Your blood is boiling; your veins feel like they are flowing with broiling water- and you are almost confident that there is steam billowing out of your red hot ears.

Because while you are livid at the person who did this to JJ, you have briefly pondered the thought that what Will did was worse.

Conspiracy theories were rampant; many believed that Will had orchestrated the entire event; and ran off before you or your team could connect the dots. He was the first person you had looked at; and he was the first person cleared.

You have absolutely no evidence that Will was involved in any way; but his sudden departure did make you question him- and his motives.

You cannot imagine leaving JJ; leaving her completely vulnerable and helpless- and you are not her husband. You took no vow for her, yet you and your team remain by her side, six months into hell.

You cannot imagine what drove Will to the decision he made; you cannot imagine having to tell JJ that Will left; and took her son with him.

"Where are you?" You hiss, barely able to keep your voice at an even tone.

There is silence over the phone and you bite your tongue. And then "what do you mean, Hotch?" You hear the confusion in his voice, something is wrong.

"We have been looking for you, trying to contact you."

"Hotch, I have a signed document from you putting me and Henry into witness protection.."

Your broiling blood seems to have cooled quickly, and now you feel as if there is ice in your veins.

"What do you mean, Will?"

"I am sorry I have called, I know we were told not to.."

"By who?" You quickly interrupt realizing that this operation, whatever JJ is in the middle of, is deeper then you could have ever imagined.

"Our agent. The man who brought us here; said he was with the US Marshal Service."

You pinch the bridge of your nose, trying to sort this out and watch as Morgan looks down at his phone, just as Garcia looks at her computer; everyone is looking at their phones.

Something has happened.

"Will. What is the name of the marshal?"

"Kent Hastings."

"Hastings?" You say out loud, and there is so much tension in the room, you feel it might explode at any minute.

"Yes- he took me and Henry here and told us to hang tight. I haven't seen him since; only spoken a few times with him on the phone."

You nod your head, debating if you should reveal any information to Will; as far as you know, your UNSUB is monitoring the call. "Okay." You speak.

"How is she Hotch?"

How do you answer that question? Good? Bad? Alive? The last thing you want to do is give any information about JJ to the UNSUB, but JJ's husband has every right to know- especially now that you understand he didn't just run off.

"I am with her Will, I am always with her. I won't let anything happen to her." It isn't much of an answer, but you hope the experienced detective can read between the lines. And it appears he does, because he asks no further questions.

"I miss her Hotch, I love her." His southern accent his deep, and you know he must stick out like a sore thumb wherever he is. "Henry asks for her on a daily basis, and all I keep telling him is that she is sick."

"You aren't lying, Will." You desperately want to provide more information but cannot; you are afraid this is bait- something to put JJ in even further danger.

"HOTCH!" Your head snaps up you hear Garcia call your name, and you rush over holding your phone to your shoulder.

And on her screen, on her computer screen is what causes you to nearly bite a hole through your lip. Because right in front of you, live on screen is the man you knew as Officer Jacobs; the man who shot JJ.

"Kent." You state his name and you hear an evil cackle.

"We finally meet again Agent."


	16. Motive

**AN: Yay! Making progress here; please review! Also, beware that there is some bad language in this one. **

"Kent Hastings." Your voice is steady, strong.

"It only took you six months to figure out who I was?" He laughs and takes a drag from the cigarette that is hanging from his lips.

You don't acknowledge the stab and instead simply stare at him, waiting for him to talk. To say something, anything else that may lead you to his whereabouts.

"You won't find me agent. You haven't in six months, you are no closer to having me then you were that beautiful day." You continue to stare, allowing him to talk. You would much rather listen then speak right now. Every word he uses, from the choice of words, to the tone of words helps build a profile of him. "You wanna know how easy it was agent? You wanna know what happened right before?" His eyes are glistening and you know you are about to hear it. "Because I can tell you; I can tell you the look in her eyes when she understood what was happening." He takes a sip of whatever is in the bottle.

"Where should I start?" He asks.

"How about from the beginning." You growl, hoping to get as much information from him as possible.

He laughs, and throws his head back just enough for you to catch a glimpse of a small tattoo on his neck, a red cross.

"Not a chance, let's see you and your pathetic excuse for a team try a make a comeback. You are the laughing stock of the FBI right now- cannot even find the shooter of one of your agents. What a joke."

"Why her? Why JJ?" You ask wondering if you might get the answer you have been hoping for since you found JJ.

Kent stops and looks at you. "She is the reason my brother is dead."

And suddenly, the dots have all connected and you wonder why you never saw it before; why nobody ever saw it before.

"Your brother kidnapped Agent Jareau.."

"And he should have killed her when he had the chance." You bite the inside of your lip to prevent yourself from saying anything; you need him to keep talking. "I tried to convince him to keep her, to take her with us."

And you freeze; he had just said "us." "You were there."

"In the background, yes." He cackles again. "I wanted her so badly, she was to be my reward for helping my brother grab her in the first place." He pauses and his voice goes dark. "But that son of a bitch decided it was too risky; too risky to keep her alive and take her with us." He shakes his head and seems to have forgotten anyone was watching. He starts pacing and muttering. "It was too dangerous to keep her for a few hours longer, but not too dangerous to send me out to kidnap a bloody FBI agent." He scoffs and keeps talking. "And then she let him fall of a ledge. Some hero she is; let him die, never even tried to help." He licks his lips and keeps talking. "After that, after I saw her true character, I knew what needed to be done. I had to finish my brother's job. I looked up to him, he was my mentor; and now he is dead. I vowed to never let it go.."

Your mind is racing, how the hell did you miss this, a brother?

"And I started working out a plan- I had to get to her. I joined the marshal service for the sole purpose of this event. I set up everything, it all aligned. Except for one thing- the bitch survived. She was never supposed to have done that."

You look towards Garcia, hoping she is finding something, anything about this man, how he slipped away from you. You see her fingers moving quickly across the keyboard as Kent is talking over the screen; a video conference using a program you have never seen.

"But the third time is a charm, isn't agent?" Your head shots up and you met his gaze. "I won't stop agent, she will die." He licks his lips and a crazed look appears in his features. "So, how about we play a game.."

Your heart sinks, he has this all planned out. "I don't like games."

"Oh but Agent Hotchner, I love them. You have a choice of who to save. Her husband or her. I can promise I can get to Will before you ever have a chance to figure out where he is. Don't worry, I won't hurt the kid, I am still a human being with a consciences. But think about it; who would be a better parent for Henry? A vegetable, or a fully functioning adult." He chuckles. "I'll let you and your team talk it over- and don't think you can protect both of them."

You briefly hear the door open behind you, but don't dare take your eyes off the lunatic in front of you. "I'll be back in touch." And the screen goes black.

And from behind you, you hear a soft, quite, but familiar voice. "Kent?"


	17. Shock

**AN: Thank you so much for the reviews! Here is the thing, I am BEGGING someone, anyone- if you can make one of those fanmade movie things based on this fic (and breath) can you contact me? THANKS!**

In the last five minutes, you are positive you have experienced the full range of human emotion. It brings you right back to the day when JJ was shot; how you went from unease just moments before the shooting, to shock, to anger, to denial and back to anxiety.

Today- just now, you did it all over again. Not did, are doing- still in the process of the emotional roller coaster that is sadly becoming to frequent of a visitor in your life.

And right now, all that you can see is red hot anger. Anger at JJ's situation, at the audacity of Kent Hastings to challenge you and your team, at yourself. At yourself because you should have seen this, yu should have seen this months ago. And now; because you missed it, at least two more lives are in danger: Will and Henry.

"How did you get in here?" Your rage is evident in your voice, and while you didn't mean the outburst, it had finally boiled over- and the most recent visitor was the victim of it.

Molly is standing in front of you, frozen. Her blue eyes wide in fear, her breathing heavy as she stares fixated on the now black computer screen.

"Hotch!" Emily glares at you, as she walks over to Molly. "Do you know him?" Emily's voice is soft and calm.

You bite your tongue, you know your outburst at the physician who has worked so hard to save JJ's life was completely unnecessary; but it still irks you. How the hell did she just walk into a confidential meeting?

"Ya, um.." Molly is completely flabbergasted, unable to speak. She is in shock.

"Is JJ okay?" You ask, making sure your tone is normal.

Molly looks at you and nods. "She's okay." You hear an unspoken 'but' but decide against pursing it right now. Molly has cared for JJ for six months now; she would tell you if there was reason to be concerned.

You glance back at your team. "Kate- will you go sit with JJ?" You ask, staring at Molly.

"Sure." Kate responds and immediately heads out.

"Morgan, Reid. Find out everything about him." You take a deep breath. "Emily, Rossi.." You are about to speak but something tells you not to. "Leave your cells here;" you gesture for everyone to head out of the room. You have to find something that may be impossible. You need to find a room with no cameras, and no phones. Nothing that can be hacked.

"Do any of the rooms not have cameras in them?" You look at Molly who nods and takes the lead. You all follow her and watch as she enters a small corner room that you have never noticed before.

"It's the shower room- we have a few patients able to take baths and showers. It's large enough that a wheelchair and staff can get in if needed; large enough to allow staff to help a patient bathe while still allowing the patient to maintain some sort of independence."

You nod and quickly rush through the words in your heads before you say them; the last thing you want to do is scare Molly; yet at the same time, you wonder so much.

"Why were you talking to Kent?" She blurts out, staring you down.

"How do you know him?" You shoot back.

You watch as she chews on her lip. "He is my ex-husband."

You feel as if the wind has been knocked from you. "I didn't know if he was involved in JJ's case; I know he was trying to join the FBI."

The lump in your throat grows larger. "How long has it been since you last talked to him?"

She shrugs. "A few months, a year maybe?" She looks down. "We divorced ten years ago though; lost contact, and then one day out of the blue, he called me, asked to meet up."

You stare at her, a million emotions coursing. "Do you remember the date he showed up?" It was a long shot, but you had to ask.

She nods. "Yes, it was June 21, it would have been our eleventh wedding anniversary" Her voice drops off and she realizes the second you do. "Oh God. That's the day JJ was shot.." Her hand goes to her mouth. "He did this, he did this to…" Her voice is shaking. "He shot her, he shot JJ! He tried to murder.."

You nod. "Did he visit before or after you first treated JJ?"

"After." She looks away. "Said he wanted to make his peace with me," Her voice drops and she is hardly speaking above a whisper. "He joined the marshal service, and was excited about it; but said he had to disappear for a bit."

You work hard to keep your stoic expression; you do not blame Molly, she had no idea. "Did he say where he was going?"

She shakes her head. "No, he was extremely secretive about it all."

"Was it unusual of him to appear out of the blue like that?" You hear Emily ask.

Molly lifts her gaze momentarily "I wish I could tell you. But his behavior has always been erratic; it's what lead to our divorce. I never knew who was walking in the door; my sweet, kind, loving Kent, or the Kent who was evil and unpredictable."

You cling onto the word evil; because you know that is him- evil did this to JJ.

"And Hotch." You look up to see tears in her eyes. "Kent is the epitome of evil- and when he says he is going to do something, there is no stopping him."


	18. Games

**AN: I am so sorry, I didn't realize how slow this story was! I promise, it is speeding up and fast! This is a long chapter! Quick question, I want to do a sort of parallel story to Breath, except from JJ's point of view, would anyone be interested? Let me know!**

The look in Molly's eyes tells you so many things; but most importantly, it tells you she is scared. No, not scared- terrified of Kent.

And it appears she has every reason to be.

"Can you tell us about him?" Emily's voice is soft, reassuring. You are not sure you could convey the same amount of care and respect right now.

Molly looks down. "I am so sorry." You see tears spill over her bright blue eyes. "Kent, had I told you anything that night."

"How would you have known?" Emily asks.

Molly nods. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." You speak up. "Friends, family, career, nothing is too small." You pay special attention to your tone of voice, your body language. You truly believe Molly had no idea her ex-husband had shot your agent; you have no reason not to believe it.

For the next four hours, you and Emily learn more about Kent Hastings then you have in the last six months. His childhood was nothing out of the ordinary, he grew up in a middle class neighborhood with a loving family. He graduated valedictorian from his high school and went on to earn his doctorate in psychology from an Ivy League college.

And as you pour over the information, there is nothing that stands out that would change Dr. Hastings into a man bent on murder and revenge. Nothing that you have been able to see that lead him to kidnapping a federal agent, being an accomplice in torture, and the gunman in attempted murder.

You are missing something, you just have to figure out what it was.

"I need you to think, think hard, is there anything that you haven't told us?" You push Molly, you know it's there. "Tell me about his brother."

Molly looks at you, "Michael?" You nod but remain silent. "I don't know that much about him really. He was in the service when Kent and I met; spent a lot of his time deployed. Whenever we did meet, he was always very kind, sweet. A gentleman essentially."

"How was Kent and Michael's relationship?" Emily asks

Molly shrugs. "I wouldn't call it close, but it wasn't distant either. They spoke a few times a year, but rarely saw each other in person. They did have a cousin that hung out with them a lot, I think him name was Zach. Michael really didn't like Zach spending time with Kent; thought he was a bad influence." You watch as Molly shifts in her chair, obviously in shock. "Zach spent a lot of time on the streets, got into drugs and never really got out of it. Michael was very protective of Kent and did his best to keep him away from Zach." She takes a sip of water and meets your gaze. "Michael may be able to give you more insight.."

You look towards Emily. "When was the last time you and Michael spoke?" And you wonder if she has any idea what happened with Michael and JJ.

She shakes her head, "Twelve years ago? It has been a long time, but I am pretty sure he is still with the military."

You send a quick text to Garcia and request she send you a picture of Michael Hastings; you have to be sure. Seconds later, you have the picture.

"Is this Michael?" You show her the phone and she smiles and nods.

"That's him.." She sees the look on your face, and on Emily's. "How..?"

You bite the inside of your cheek and decide to tell her. "Michael died about two years ago." You hear her gasp. "He was responsible for kidnaping and torturing JJ."

Any remaining color in Molly's face has drained. "I.. I had no idea." Emily looks to you and you know you are both thinking the same thing. How did you miss that Michael had a brother? "They aren't blood.."

Your head shoots up. "What?"

Molly nods. "Michael and Kent are not biological brothers, in fact, Hastings isn't even Kent's last name. It's Wild. He started calling himself Hastings after Michael took him under his wing; Kent needed a sense of belonging so much after his parents died that once Michael opened his arms, Kent went running. I don't know why he felt like he didn't belong, his parents loved him so much, but.."

"How old was he when his parents died?" Emily asks, thinking you may have found what started everything.

"In his late twenties, a weird car accident. The brakes failed in their car and the car hit a tree."

Things are coming together, the puzzle that had a thousand pieces scattered everywhere, is piecing together. You now have a picture to guide you instead of a sea of empty space.

You know have a name, a birthdate, a motive. For the first time in six months, you have a profile.

And just as you smile, your phone begins to ring and you see the number as blocked. Your heart rate picks up as you know who is calling.

"Kent." You answer the phone.

"Who will it be, Will and Henry or JJ? Who gets to live?" You can almost see his smile, and you look back to Molly remembering her words earlier; he will make do on his promises. "I need an answer agent, or they all die." He laughs.

Your mind is racing, who do you save? Who do you protect? And then you have the answer right then; you can protect JJ more than you can Will and henry right now- you know where JJ is.

"How do I know you will leave the other safe?" You growl, trying to buy some time.

There is hysterical laugher on the other side of the phone. "You don't. But if you don't choose, none of them will live- not even that precious little boy." He pauses. "I know exactly where everyone is, Will, Henry and JJ. A bomb is planted with Henry and Will- they have no idea. JJ- well hell agent, it won't take much to get rid of her. An accidental power outage, a fire, exposure to the common cold.."

You don't know how to answer, what to answer!

"I'll give you five seconds;" Kent is in complete control and he knows it. "Tell me who to let live."

"Five."

God, JJ or Will and Henry?

"Four."

Henry can live with Will who can provide care, stability- JJ cannot. JJ might very well be in a hospital for a lot longer.

"Three."

Is there a way you can protect them all?

"Two"

There has to be something.

"One. Choose now agent, and don't think you'' have time to warn anyone.."

Who lives? "Henry and Will" You blurt out, and you feel your knees shaking. Did you just sign your agent's death warrant?

"Very well then." And the line goes dead just as you look to see Molly glancing at her pager.

She looks to you and takes off. She is heading for JJ's room.


	19. Hotch

**AN: There is a HUGE reason for this chapter; and it might not be apparent until later chapters (I'm thinking there are maybe 4-5 left in this story) I am trying to move this story as fast as I can without harming the integrity of it. Thank you all!**

You stand outside JJ's room, watching as Molly and the team of nurses work frantically by her bedside. There is no yelling or shouting, instead, orders of medication are being thrown out and you watch as nurses grab IV lines and quickly inject more drugs.

Nobody has told you what is going on, but you have grown accustomed to it. She is seizing, and from the looks of it, it is a violent seizure that the staff if struggling to take control over. You know they are timing it, you know they are making sure she is safe and will not further injure herself, you know they are monitoring her breathing, and you know the names of the medications they are calling out.

You know so much medically know relating to JJ; what you don't know is why. Why is she seizing? She hasn't in months; she has been on a regimented therapy of anticonvulsants for at least the last five months; and by the looks on the staff's face, they are just as concerned.

You take in a deep breath as Rossi joins you at your side; he doesn't say anything, but focuses on JJ's room, at the precise movements of every staff member. Everyone has their place, and their job, and they all do it well as they fight for JJ.

You look down at your watch, you have been standing in the hallway for eight minutes, and the seizure has been going on for longer than that at this point. You swallow and briefly look down, ignoring the sideways glance Rossi shoots your direction. This is the longest seizure JJ has suffered- and it is not slowing down.

It is right to question everything now, had Kent really been able to get to JJ this quickly? Within seconds of the phone call had he done something to cause this massive seizure? You remember what Molly had said, that once Kent vowed to do something, there was no stopping him.

"What are you thinking?" Rossi's voice is steady and firm.

"I want her transferred." You make sure your voice matches his, you don't want anyone catching on.

Rossi is quite for a minute. "Aaron, look at her." He tells you. "We can't; she can't. Molly won't agree to it."

"Then we go around her." You suggest, knowing that Emily has filed Rossi in on the most recent developments.

"Go around the top neruo doctor in the area? And send JJ where, Aaron? We are in Dallas, it is a major hub for top notch medical research."

"He has found her here, he knows Molly." You explain.

"And now, we know him." Rossi is trying to install reasoning in you. "We have more of an advantage then he does."

"Really?" You almost bite. "Look at her Dave; how do we have the advantage?"

He nods, seeing where you are coming from. And then with a hand on your shoulder he says "Because JJ is still fighting."

You think it over, mull it over, you don't move as Rossi walks away. Your gaze remains fixated on JJ's room, switching between Molly and JJ.

"There ya go, here we go." You hear Molly say and witness as the seizure finally begins to slow. Ten minutes, it raged for ten minutes. You look at all the tubes and wire that are infiltrating JJ's frail body, and you wonder how easy it would be for someone to put something into one of those tubes.

"Excuse us, sir." You are suddenly pushed aside by three people rushing in to JJ, and towards Molly. She is speaking to them, all while she flashes a penlight in JJ's eyes.

The nurses are unlocking the brakes on the gurney, and unhooking the ventilator as gear is loaded onto JJ's gurney. They are going somewhere and going fast. You have never seen them in such a hurry and you look to Molly.

"Let's go." She commands, taking control of the entire situation. "We cannot wait any longer."

And you step aside as you are nearly run over by the gurney, but you shake yourself back into reality and begin chasing after it.

"Sir, you cannot-"One of the staff begins, but Molly quickly ends it.

"He's coming." She hisses quickly. But her focus remains on what is most important to her; her patient.

An hour later, you are back in JJ's room. She is still asleep, but no longer seizing. The MRI she was rushed to- you are still awaiting the results. But for now, everything is okay. Not good, but okay. You take her hand in yours, and look and see bruising- the seizure was violent, and it scared you.

And you focus on the bruising, how many people had touched JJ today? In the last hour? Had all of them had security clearances and checks? Had you actually looked and seen everyone? Closing your eyes, you realize you cannot remember half of their faces- and every single one of them had the opportunity to end her life.

It's a stark realization, and one you are not sure you can accept. How can you possibly protect JJ from a vague threat, when her condition is so severe that at any given time, numerous people rush into save her life?

And again, you are stuck. Do you move JJ and risk so much? Or do you keep her here under the care of one of the most gifted neuro..

And you stop.

Molly.

You grab your phone and within seconds have Kate on the line. You want her to with Molly at all times right now- because Kent will do anything it takes to get to JJ; including harming Molly.

It is amazing what you can do, you can put together a security detail in minutes, and you can shut down a hospital if needed, ground a flight. You can do so much, except help JJ.

"JJ," You take in a deep breath and smile when her eyes flutter a bit. "I don't want you to be scared," You tell her and smile when she opens her eyes. She is so drugged, it is apparent her eyes. But she is alive and she is breathing. She is looking at you, straight at you, not through you but at you.

The room is quiet, peaceful and it is just the two of you. No nurses, or doctors, no staff. You wonder what she is thinking. Few Christmas decorations are up; as Garcia had begged Molly to allow them. Everything artificial, nothing too stimulating. No scents, or trees, or flowers, but presents are wrapped up, and there are a few Santa Clause statues around. It isn't much, but it is something- something to take away from the clinical nature of the room.

"Are you cold?" You stand up and bring a blanket over her body. It's as you are covering her up, you notice how skinny she is; all of her nutrients come through a tube now, but it is unsettling to see her thin frame.

She is still staring at you through the drug induced haze, and you don't know if she is trying to communicate with you. You don't think she is in any pain, the nurses are on top of that. So you simply watch her, and smile, and hold her hand. "Take your time, JJ." You tell her, making sure you appear calm and that everything is fine.

You watch her face and see her mouth beginning to move, it's slow and sloppy and you grab a rag from the end table and gently run it across her lips.

"There you go." You tell her, as the light from your phone indicates a text message has been received. But you ignore it, because JJ is trying to tell you something.

She is working as hard as she can, and you can tell it's causing stress to her body, but she is desperate to get the word out.

"What is it?" You bend down next to her.

And after working hard as she can, you watch as her mouth forms one word. "Hotch."


	20. Already Here

**AN: I am so nervous about this chapter, let me know what you think. Also- Molly and Hotch as a couple- yay or nay?**

"Agent Hotchner?" Your head shots up at the sound of your name, your hand instantly goes to your gun. You look up to see a stranger trying to step into JJ's room, but he is being held back by security. You glance back down at JJ, and squeeze her hand before walking towards the stranger; every sense in you is on high alert.

"Yes?" You ask, not taking your hand off your gun.

"I..." He stutters, and you can tell he is unsure of what is happening. "I have MRI results, I just wanted to talk to you about them."

You glare at him. "Where is Dr. Molly?" You block the doorway, there is no way this intruder is getting close to JJ.

"Um… she…" He is sweating, he looks like he wants to run away.

"Don't move." You growl at him, and read his name embroidered on his white coat. You quickly text Garcia and ask her to run a background check on the doctor. A minute later, it comes back clear. "What about the MRI?"

"I can't discuss it in the hall, sir." The young doctor stutters. "HIPPA and.."

You stare at him, you are not letting him near JJ.

"I can make an exception." He whispers. "There are no changes in the MRI, the seizure didn't do any further damage."

You nod. "Where's Dr. Molly?"

"She asked me to present the results to you; I just did as she asked." That was odd. Since the first day JJ had arrived in Molly's care, she had been the doctor to present you with any updates in JJ's condition. "You didn't answer my question. Where is Dr. Molly?" You growl- you are emotionally exhausted and want answers.

"I don't know sir, she called me and asked me to deliver the news."

"Why you?" Your paranoia is spiraling.

"I don't know sir," The poor doctor responds.

You glare at him and hear a grunt from behind you. JJ. "Are you a doctor?" You ask, looking back and forth from him to JJ.

"Yes," He nods. "I am a neurologist, just moved here from Colorado Springs."

"What do you know about her?" You gesture behind you; right now, JJ seems just fine.

"Honestly, nothing. Dr. Molly was very concerned about any information getting out about her, I don't even know her name. She just asked that I speak to you and only to you about the MRI results."

You stare at him for another second before relenting. "You are not to speak to anyone about this patient, nobody. Do I make myself clear?"

"Dr. Molly.

"Nobody." You huff and turn your back to him before taking your spot next to JJ.

You hear him mutter something under his breath, and watch as he walks away. It's the way he struts that stops you and you stand, this time pulling out your gun.

"Freeze." You say it with authority, there is no question what you want. "Put your hands behind your back." You command, glancing back down at JJ. She is awake, her blue eyes open, staring at your gun.

You don't have time to think on it right now, but it goes through your mind that the last thing JJ ever saw was a gun- which is exactly what she is looking at right now. You shift your position a tiny bit and with your free hand, you cover her eyes. You can only hope it helps.

You hear footsteps rapidly approaching, and you know they belong to Morgan.

The doctor ahead of you has frozen, but he holds something in his hands- JJ's MRI results. "Drop it." You growl as you see Morgan walk in front of the man, his own gun out and aimed.

The man does as commanded and the folder falls to the ground; it falls faster than what it should. Had it just had MRI results, it wouldn't have hit the ground that fast. You tighten your grip on your gun. "Kick it towards Agent Morgan." Your commands are swift, and quick and he does as he is told.

You don't need to say anymore and watch as Morgan cuffs the man. You remain silent as Morgan pats him down and pulls a small pocket knife from the man's pocket.

"JJ, it's okay, I'll be right back." You tell her and approach. You don't say a word as you bend down and pick up the folder on the ground. "MRI results?" You hiss at the man who is smiling smugly.

He shrugs as you open the folder. Something is very off about this man; you just can't put a finger on it yet. And you really don't even have enough right now to have him in handcuffs, but you don't care- you want this over with. All of it. But it's too easy, this is way too easy.

You bite your tongue as you pull out the contents. "Where did you get these?"

He looks back at you; "She isn't as safe as you like to think she is, agent." You look down at the documents; its JJ's name, health records, personal info, pictures. "This is over when you allow her to die, agent." He laughs as Morgan drags him away. He turns to look back at you. "For her sake, it might be easier for you to pull the plug; it'll be a much easier death then he has planned." He pauses. "And he's already gotten to her; he's already here."


	21. Solider

**AN: Prepare yourselves :) Also, this is part two (I think) of a three part story. **

Your arms are crossed across your chest; you stare through the glass at the man who just ended an interrogation with Morgan. Your mind is still reeling at the absolute depth of the plan to harm JJ that Kent must have in mind. No, not to hurt JJ, to kill JJ "He's ready to talk." Morgan's voice startles you out of your thoughts, and you simply nod. You are taking this one, you will handle this one.

"He can wait another twenty minutes." You tell Morgan softly, not taking your eyes off the squirming man locked in the small, hot interrogation room.

And you do- you make him wait for an agonizing thrity minutes, all while you watch him grow increasingly anxious. He cannot sit still, is pacing and sweating. His body language tells you so much, you have learned so much without speaking a word.

You are ready to step in, ready to conduct this interrogation when your phone goes off. It's Emily- and she is with JJ, and she is wanting a video conference.

Six months ago, you would have ignored the call and sent a quick text; not anymore. You turn around and answer the phone, meeting Emily's eye.

"I have to show you something." You can tell it is good news by the tone of her voice. You smile and nod and watch and listen. "Okay, JJ." You hear Emily speak and the screen is turned to JJ. Her blue eyes are open, they are clear, and they are focused on the screen.

"Hi JJ," You tell her; you greet her every time you see her.

"Remember how we did it before;" the phone pans down and you see Emily taking JJ's left hand. "Okay JJ, show him! Squeeze my hand JJ." And almost instantly, you watch as JJ's hand flexes and squeezes Emily's. You hear Emily encourage her and tell her what a wonderful job she did.

And you tell her to, because that little movement; while so insignificant six months ago, has momentous meaning now. And it gives you the fire to go into that interrogation room and find out everything you can.

You walk in with an air of authority, and the man immediately knows you have power, because his knees appear to go to jello once he sees you.

"Sit down." You order, slamming the folder down on the table. The man is already shaking, you want to scare him to tears.

He does as he is told, without so much as a word.

"Do you know why you are here?" You keep your voice stern, keep eye contact on him. He does not answer. "Look at me," You demand and watch as he raises his eye to meet yours. "Do you know why you are here?"

"Because I tried to get into that girls' room."

You glare at him, you are not in the mood to play games. "Try again. Try the truth this time."

"How do you know that's not the truth?"

You nod, already seeing how this is going to go. "It's the partial truth, you were arrested for trying to go into the room. Tell me why you were going in there."

"I had MRI res.."

You head him off, and slam your fists on the table, causing him to jump. "I am not in any mood to play games here, right now, you are facing very serious charges, and if you have any hope of seeing daylight again, this is your chance. I will not offer you another one, and I swear I will pull every favor I have with every judge to ensure you spend the rest of your life locked in a cell with no chance of parole."

His eyes are wide now and he licks his lips. "Start talking." You order and add "Do not try and fool me, I will see through it quicker then it will come out of your lips."

He nods and you settle back down into your chair. Soon you find out his name is Ray Ross; a thirty eight year old man who has spent the last eight years of his life living on the streets of Dallas. Five months ago, he and his buddy had been approached by a man wearing a military uniform.

"We trust them soldiers, ya know. They are good people." Ray explains. "He told us he had a job for us and was willing to give us a house, food, shelter.." He pauses. "It was getting cold out, and the shelters were full- we really had no choice. And he gave it to us, and we were happy, then one day he came to my buddy with an assignment; said he had to do it to pay back the debt we owed him for staying here. If he did it- we could keep the house!"

He eyes the glass of water, and you slide it over to him. "Keep talking."

He takes a moment. "Brandon didn't come back that night- I never saw him again."

"What did Brandon look like?"

Ray shrugs. "Average; white dude, brown hair, brown eyes, nothing special."

You nod, you know exactly who Ray is referring to, the man who had nearly killed JJ early on in her treatment. The man that, until now, you had no name.

"What else about Brandon?"

"He was a good friend of mine, good guy. Sometimes he would yell and scream at the air- like something was there. Sometimes he would pretend to be someone else; he was fun to be around though."

"What happened next?" You ask.

"I stayed in the home for a long time, then the solider came back and said his plan was almost done; but he still needed help. I like being in the house because its warm and has food, and the solider gives me money."

You raise your eyebrows. "He gives you money?"

"As long as I don't talk to nobody. But he has the plan worked out to kill this lady. He is hell bent on it; never told me why. He says it's almost done, but he needed my help one more time, so I said sure. And that's when I ran into you at the hospital."

So many questions are running through your mind. "Do you know where the house is?"

"Yes, but he don't stay there."

"Where does he stay?"

Ray shrugs his shoulders. "No idea, just comes and goes when he wants."

"What about his plan, do you know anything else?" An image of JJ lying in bed flashes through your mind, of Kent smiling as he pulls out a gun- JJ having no understanding of what is happening. And JJ mouthing your name as he pulls the trigger.

"Can I have more water?"

You shake your head. "When we are done- what else do you know about his plan?"

He looks at you. "He will kill that lady, I know that. And he has the means to do it."

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

You walk through the ICU, ready to go on check on JJ. You are proud of her, of the progress she has made; and while you hold no illusion that she will be able to rejoin your team; you are simply thankful for the small things now. The mouthing of your name, the hand squeezing, the eye contact. The interrogation took seven hours, and you are more than happy to be back at the hospital. It almost feels like home now.

And then you walk in; and your world crashes as you reach for your gun.


	22. Choice

**AN: It's only been four months since I updated this! It has another chapter and it will be done! This chapter was sooo hard to write, I hope you enjoy it. **

Seven months ago, you thought you were living through your worst nightmare. You thought seeing one of your agents shot and nearly killed was the worst of the worst. Until you walked into JJ's hospital room.

Now, you know it could get worse. And it has done just that.

Standing in front of you, standing next to JJ is two people. One you trust, Molly, and the other you are ready to shoot; Kent. And Kent is currently holding a gun to Molly's temple.

In seconds, your brain processes everything that is happening. JJ is propped up on the bed, in a sitting position. It's a physical therapy thing, they do it for a few minutes everyday, and you know once JJ is at five minutes, she is done and needs to lay back down. The grimace on her face tells you she has been sitting up for more than five minutes, the tears- her only way to communicate right now- are streaking down her cheeks. She is in so much pain and Kent is allowing it to happen.

"Please.." It is Molly's voice. "Just let me lay her down- she is in too much pain."

"Shut up!" Kent shakes Molly hard. "You ask again and you will join your beloved patient in the ICU."

She looks at you and shakes her head, silently apologizing for not being able to help JJ.

"Let her go, Kent." You raise your gun and aim it straight at him, this ends now.

"What are you going to do Aaron, shoot me?" He lets out a loud laugh and while Molly jumps, you notice JJ is doing everything she can to make herself more comfortable. Which is nothing. Part of her body is paralyzed and she is completely dependent on others to help her. The part of her body that is not paralyzed has no strength to help get her out of this situation.

"I am going to give you the chance to let her go." You growl back.

"We both know you cannot shoot me, not in a hospital, not in this room. There is too much oxygen in here, you will blow us all up."

And he is right. "It's okay, JJ." You make eye contact with her, not sure if she can see you. You think she can hear you, and you use your voice to help soothe her.

"It's okay? It's okay?" Kent roars. "How is it okay, agent? Look at her! You damn well know she will never get any better, that she will be completely dependent on care the rest of her life- however long that maybe. You sit here and lie to her, promise her that it is okay! Does she look okay to you?"

You refuse to answer.

"What do you think doctor, does she look okay to you?" He forces Molly closer to JJ and you see him slip a syringe into her hands. "Go ahead, do it. End this pain for her.. You know it will only get worse- she will be in pain the rest of her sorry existence."

"No." Molly shakes her head refusing to take the syringe. "I.. I can't."

"Oh. But you must." You watch as he grabs JJ's central line tubing and forces Molly to connect the syringe to the tubing.

Molly is sobbing. You are livid, and JJ is in pain.

And then it stops.

And Kent looks at you.

"You have two choices agent. Who gets to live today? Dr. Molly, this beautiful, gifted neurosurgeon who has the potential to save thousands of more lives. This functioning member of society, who pays taxes and gives back to her community. Or.. This piece of shit on the bed, who will never walk, talk or move on her own again. The one who is crying in pain because she cannot even sit up on her own? She will be a drain on society for as long as she lives, a burden to the taxpayers- a burden to her family. And a burden on you.." He pauses.

And your heart rate has increased. No. No, he cannot make you choose.

"You have ten seconds to choose agent, who will it be? Molly or JJ?" He grabs the syringe. "This is a lethal dose- whoever gets it, will not stand a chance... No gun shot needed her today."

And you stare at him. What the hell do you do?


	23. Final

**AN: Last chapter, can we get an AMEN! I thought about ending it on a cliff hanger but decided against it. Y'all this took me forever to write; about three days. I love this story and am sad to see it go but thank you all for your support! This story has always been focused on Hotch and JJ, that is why so much of the team was left out; I needed Hotch to feel the guilt he did throughout this story. Let me know what I should update next:**

It's a risk. Everything you say or do right now is a risk; and it isn't just your life at risk, it's Molly's, JJ's and Kent's. Quite honestly, you do not give a damn if he never makes it out of this hospital room without the assistance of a body bag, but as a federal agent, your goal is to preserve life, not end it if at all possible.

And right now, it is still possible. But nobody would blink twice if you ended it right now, after all the man has proven himself to be highly unstable and now has what appears to be a syringe ready to inject into one hostage, and a gun at the others head.

And he has just delivered one hell of an ultimatum; and your brain is in chaos. What do you do? Who do you choose? You look back and forth making eye contact with Molly and Kent; and attempting to make it with JJ.

Your heart sinks at the startling realization; the predicament you have found yourself in.

"You cannot get out of this." You find yourself growling; your voice sounding much more confident then you feel.

"Really? Because it is looking like I can." Kent replies smirking. "What choice do you have agent? Either way, I win."

"No, you don't. This ends one of two ways, either I shoot you now and end this once and forever; or you walk out of this room and know for the rest of your life, the most powerful law enforcement agency in the world will always be on your trail. You will never sleep peacefully at night constantly wondering when that knock will come at your door; you will never be able to have any relationships because you will be paranoid that the person you are with is one of us. Travel will be a nightmare because you are always just a hair away from getting caught, you will have no friends because the reward offered will be worth much more than any friendship. Grocery shopping; that will be difficult too, because you face will be plastered on every magazine, news stations and newspaper out there." You take a step towards him and he steps back and away, away from JJ. "And there is this. You will never speak with your family again, all of their calls will be monitored, and you will never work again…"

"STOP IT!" He suddenly screams, his hand shaking as he holds the gun to Molly's head. "God damn choose who will die today!"

You lick your lips, and take a deep breath hoping that JJ cannot hear you. Hoping she cannot see you. You look him straight in the eye. "JJ." You respond without a hitch in your voice.

The look on his face is exactly what you expected.

"What did you say?" He glares at you unnerved that he is losing his control.

"I gave you my answer." You briefly make eye contact with Molly and you can tell she is in shock; the adrenaline still coursing through her system.

He shakes his head. "No! That is unacceptable, she…."

"You asked me to choose; I did." He steps further away and you step closer.

He is far enough away from JJ know that if needed you can make your move.

"Stupid asshole, why chose your agent you have worked so hard to save?" He questions you, all of his focus is on you now, away from Molly, away from JJ.

"Because you are right. Dr. Molly is independent, able to care for herself and others; she has saved hundreds of lives and will continue doing so. Agent Jareau did her job seven months ago; that day she knew if she died she died in honor, she is still a federal agent and nothing you do can take that away from her. What will happen is she will die a hero who fought the hardest battle I have ever seen; she will get full honors and will have died at the hands of an angry, pathetic excuse for a man. Her name will be forever remembered as the agent who died stopping a homicidal individual; you will get none of that. You will get a paupers grave because not even your own mother will claim your body." You have struck a nerve and decide to continue. "You didn't win, you tried as hard as you could that night and still failed. She is still stronger then you and forever…"

And you see it right then, years in your field and your eyes catch it.

You pull the trigger and in less than a millimeter of a second, Kent is dropped to the floor and Molly is free. She doesn't run, instead, she turns and picks up the gun. But that is not what surprises you; it is what happens next.

"Someone, get help!" She screams and bends down pressing her fingers to feel for a pulse before turning to look at you and nodding a thanks.

You shake your head and grab the gun, astonished at the humanity in the neurosurgeon on the floor. She is working to save the life of the man who just held a gun to her head, the man you just shot in the chest, the excuse for a human that nearly killed your agent.

"Check on JJ." She commands as the room fills with staff.

You are already at her side, "Shh, JJ, its okay." You reassure her, reaching over to wipe away the pain filled tears. She is still in the upright position and has been for over an hour now; the longest she has ever been able to withstand is five minutes. The toll it must have taken on her is immense. But she is alive; in pain, but alive.

Carefully, you lower the bed until she is back in a comfortable position; she is calming down and you reach over and wipe the tears away from her cheeks. You cannot imagine what is going through her mind right now; all you can do is try and comfort her until one of the nurses can give her some pain medication.

So you take her hand in yours, confident that Kent is sedated and on his way to the emergency room and talk to her in hopes you can quell some pain and anxiety.

"It's over, JJ." You promise, soothing her as you talk to her. Her eyes frantically search for you before you gently grab her head and turn it so that she can see you. "I am right here." You promise. "He can't hurt you again, JJ." You watch as her breathing evens out and her body relaxes before she closes her eyes and falls into a deep sleep.

And for the first time in seven months, you sleep soundly in the chair next to her.

Just five short months later, the one year anniversary of the shooting falls upon you. So much has changed in just twelve months that you look back and cannot see yourself as the same person. JJ is now home with Will and Henry and twenty-four hour nursing staff. Molly had been firm with you that if JJ were to be discharged she would need to go to a nursing home, care center, or if she were to go home, she would need twenty four hour care.

You and Will had elected to keep JJ at home. And you had never looked back.

Since coming home, JJ has started to have life in her eyes again her blue eyes are vibrant, she has color in her cheeks, she has put on weight although that has all been through the help of tube placed inside her stomach; she cannot swallow.

Rossi hired a hairstylist that will come in every morning and do JJ's hair and makeup; he knows how important JJ's appearance is to her, and just because she has a severe traumatic brain injury does not mean it should be neglected. Today, her hair is down and in curls, framing her cheeks as it cascades down her back.

"JJ, you look beautiful." You tell her, lifting the flowers to her. You know she cannot take them, but she does look at them and offers a slight smile.

"Here agent, try this." The nurse, Benny, takes the flowers from you and steps in front of JJ. "JJ, can you touch the flowers?" She asks softly, reaching for JJ's hand. She still cannot lift it on her own, but with time, you are confident the strength will come back. Benny gently guides it to the petals on the flowers and JJ's fingers grace over the silk; the smile returns.

She has come so far in a year and you couldn't be more proud of your agent. You know she will never walk again, and you have been told she will not be able to talk, but you do not care because she already defied all the odds.

You are sitting next to her, showing her pictures of Jack when you notice she is trying to get your attention. You follow her gaze and smile. "The ring?" You ask and she smiles again. "I asked Lizzy to marry me." She blinks a few times and you have learned that is how she is learning to communicate. "Lizzy is Dr. Molly."

You are sure that if JJ could hug you she would, but she cannot. So she smiles wider and tears stream down her cheeks.

You reach over and wipe them away just as you have done so many times before; just as you will continue to do; but this time these are happy tears.

You do not know how much longer you have with JJ, Molly has been honest with you that JJ cannot fight off any viruses or complications and that a cold could kill her; that pneumonia will be catastrophic.

But you shake that away and are confident in the idea that came to you during JJ's recovery. You can worry about the future all you want, or you can enjoy the present and learn to live with what is handed to you. Just like JJ has.


End file.
